Page 339 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2025

For long-term success, leadership should invest in effective upskilling programs for both engineers and
executives. Prioritizing AI training ensures that teams can advance their capabilities while reducing their
reliance on temporary fixes, setting the foundation for sustainable and secure AI adoption.

How Out of Band Management Can Support AI-Integrated Networks

An equally intriguing insight from the report was that of those CIOs or CSOs whose organizations are
either planning to or have partially implemented AI for network management, 32% (the highest proportion)
are preparing for their AI implementation by employing continuous monitoring and real-time analytics.
Highly complementary to this context are Out of Band (OOB) solutions, which offer independent and
secure access to network assets, enabling engineers to conduct provisioning, orchestration and
remediation from remote locations. By creating an independent management plane separate from the
production network, OOB solutions permit AI tools to remain operational even if the primary network goes
down, simultaneously ensuring real-time analytics use current data.

Organizations investing in AI also need to safeguard that investment with robust OOB solutions. As these
systems protect critical infrastructure, data networks, storage, GPU clusters during outages or
disruptions, preserving the integrity and uptime of AI operations.

Fostering Alignment Between Leadership and Technical Teams
Despite different perspectives and opinions, both leadership and network engineers agree on AI’s
potential to improve network management and cybersecurity. Building on this shared recognition,
organizations can foster collaboration by aligning objectives, defining shared goals and prioritizing
initiatives such as IT training, network resilience and real-time analytics.

Many organizations opt for a step-by-step approach to AI adoption, starting with partial deployment and
scaling up as they gain experience and familiarity with the technology. Such an approach allows
businesses to test AI capabilities on a smaller scale, providing a proof of concept before a full
implementation. By working together to integrate AI effectively, leadership and technical teams can
maximize its value in network security and management.

All in all, businesses should combine shared frameworks, funding for workforce development, and
infrastructure like OOB to enable scalable, resilient AI. By integrating these specific actions, leadership
and technical teams can work together more effectively to realize AI’s full potential in network security
and management.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2025 Edition 339
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